Legislative Week now underway at state Capitol

HELENA — Legislative Week kicked off at the state Capitol on Monday, bringing in lawmakers from around Montana in a non-session year for budget updates, committee meetings, mingling and politicking.

And hovering in the background is a Senate Bill that proposes lawmakers consider meeting 45 days every year rather the 90 days every other year as mandated by the state Constitution. Nearly two-dozen meetings are planned, including training sessions and a dinner.

Committee meetings Monday dealt with on revenue, transportation, audits, energy and telecommunications, consumer and the Legislature.

Officials said last week they expected 120 of the state’s 150 members of the Legislature to attend at some point from Jan. 13-17.

The Legislative Week website says the goal is to bring legislators together to “cross-pollinate” and provide opportunities to receive more training and share information. The Legislative Council and the Legislative Finance Committee are sponsoring the event.

“&mldr; we thought giving a chance to meet in January 2020 is a small way to try on meeting every year,” according to the state Legislative Week website.

Some Republican state senators started Monday's kickoff day with a news conference.

“It’s jam-packed this week,” Sen Fred Thomas, R-Stevensville, adding a great deal of committee meetings have been “crammed in” during the week.

The 2019 Legislature passed Senate Bill 310, by Sen. Ryan Osmundson, R-Buffalo, which asks lawmakers to consider a 45-day odd-year session focused on policy and statutory changes and a 45-day even-year session that would focus on the biennial budget.

Officials estimate the cost to be between $34,000 and $44,000, not including regular costs for all the legislative committees holding regularly scheduled meetings.

Tuesday and Wednesday are scheduled for all legislators to attend training sessions. Many interim committees are meeting on Monday, Wednesday afternoon, Thursday, and Friday providing an opportunity for legislators not on the committees to attend.

Rep. Casey Schreiner, D-Great Falls, who serves as House Minority leader, said last week the training days are opportunities to get updates on issues such as the state budget and pension systems. And to open discussion among lawmakers.

“The hope is this week can build bridges,” he said.

The Legislative Council, which is overseeing Legislative Week, were told the Montana Highway Patrol as of Jan. 1 will provide extra security at the Capitol complex, said Steve Baiamonte, general services administrator/security director with the Montana Department of Administration. The state had a contract for 13 years with the Helena Police Department for law enforcement presence at the Capitol. He said there has been a change in leadership with Helena Police and the state has now gone with the highway patrol.

"We still have a very good working relationship with Helena PD and with Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office, so we see this as an enhancement to our security program," he said.

Reporter Phil Drake is our eye on the state capitol. For tips, suggestions or comment, he can be reached at 406-231-9021 or pdrake@greatfallstribune.com. To support his work, subscribe today and get a special offer.